PANAJI
Goa Police has acknowledged that transferred personnel who do not report to their new postings are not facing disciplinary action. The result is a sizeable backlog in implementing transfers -- of nearly 5,800 personnel moved over the past five years, more than 1,000 are still serving at their existing postings.
Official figures furnished by the department to the Chief Minister’s Office and accessed by The Goan show that 225 personnel were transferred in 2022, followed by 1,081 in 2023, 1,764 in 2024, 1,559 in 2025 and 1,165 so far in 2026. Yet more than 1,000 personnel remain at their old postings despite the transfer orders.
The department attributed the delay to the way police personnel are administratively placed under the control of station in-charges.
“No action has been taken against the police personnel who were transferred but have not yet reported at their new place of posting. As their service is placed under the control of in-charges of police stations, they are required to be relieved by the concerned in-charge of police stations/units,” the department stated.
The explanation comes despite Chief Minister Pramod Sawant having repeatedly warned the police department that transfer orders must be strictly complied with and no personnel should be spared for flouting transfer rules.
In 2025, the issue had also prompted Director General of Police Alok Kumar to order that salaries of personnel who failed to comply with transfer orders be withheld, acknowledging the extent to which such orders were being disregarded.
A senior officer, however, attributed the delays to operational exigencies, stating personnel were at times retained to meet law-and-order requirements, pursue pending investigations and manage other duties. The department also said eight Police Inspectors were called to account for failing to relieve transferred personnel. Interestingly, no action was thereafter taken.
Those officers were PI Suraj Gawas, PI Ananda Shirodkar, PI Nikhil Palekar, PI Vijaykumar Chodankar, PI Laxi Amonkar, PI Dattaram Raut, PI Dhiraj Devidas and PI Nikhil Palekar.
“Since then, all the concerned (transferred) police personnel have been relieved from their respective units. Further, all the concerned Officers have also been advised to be more careful and ensure timely compliance in future,” the department said, adding that explanations were sought from the PIs for the delays, all of whom had responded.
But the explanation sits uneasily with the department’s own records, which show that some personnel transferred as far back as 2022 are yet to be relieved -- leaving transfer orders unimplemented for nearly five years.
Among those transferred but not yet relieved are personnel moved between the GRP, police stations and specialised units.
With many not adhering to the orders for reasons known to the department, Prashant Naik was moved from GRP to Mardol PS on February 10, 2025, while Tushar Shetye was transferred from GRP to the Security Unit in Panaji on June 13, 2025. On the same day, Prajhot Phadte was shifted from GRP Camp to Panaji PS. The transfers continued this year. Pratik Gadekar was moved from GRP to Porvorim PS in July, followed by PI Razashad Shaikh, who was transferred from EOC to GRP on August 6. These, among many others, haven’t moved to their new place of posting, at least as per official records.
Even where transfers involve units and PS in close proximity, personnel continue to remain at their existing postings without being relieved.
Manpower crunch in Vasco as
transferred cops yet to report
Vasco PS emerged as a major focus even as the constituency’s own MLA has publicly flagged an acute shortage of police personnel there. Several personnel were moved to the station from different units and PS, including Mukesh Kunkolkar; Saddam Shaikh, Shivraj Mangheshkar, Rakesh Bogiyar, Dnyaneshwar Naik and Tejas Naik from GRP to Vasco PS. They allegedly haven’t reported to the new posting.
The movement extended beyond GRP units. Sayed Ashraf and Paresh Uzgaonkar were transferred from Mormugao PS to Vasco PS, while Lavania Kunchi was transferred from Agassaim PS. While many of these were last month, in July, Vasant Dhargalkar and Dhruv Singh were also moved from Cuncolim PS to Vasco PS. None have reported, as per the records.
At Panaji PS too, transferred personnel from the GRP and other specialised units are yet to report. Besides Phadte, Rima Gadekar and Maheshwari Haldankar of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit; Savita Varak and Rahul Mainekar of GRP, among others have not been relieved to report to join their new posting.
Sources said the GRP continues to be regarded as a sought-after posting by some personnel, with alleged reluctance to move out keeping implementation of several transfer orders in limbo.
The Cyber Crime unit, which has come under increasing pressure as online fraud cases rise, is also facing delays in personnel movement, besides SIT Land Grabbing Unit, where five personnel are yet to report.
